Critical Thinking: Seeing Through The Matrix

They must find it difficult, those who have taken authority as truth, rather than truth as authority.

– Gerald Massey

Here’s from Jason Cooper’s new post today:

What is the truth?

Who can we really trust in this apparent world (The Matrix) of deception?

Should we trust:

• The Educational System?
• The Religious Leaders?
• The Media?
• The Law?
• The Government?
• The Conspiracy Theorists?
• Or in fact, any sort of so-called authority of information and knowledge, such as the ones mentioned above, who are suppose to be the benevolent and wise leaders of truth, integrity and justice?

The next thing I’m about to say may contain more than an air of cynicism and conspiracy, but if we are to be honest with ourselves, frankly, we have been led down the garden path for most of our lives.

Unfortunately, there are powerful people out there who choose to monopolise the dissemination of knowledge and information to the masses, and who wish nothing more than to seduce our minds to the point of slumber whilst manipulating us towards submitting our will, freedom and very lives for them to do what they wish – no matter how pernicious.

In other words, through our own ignorance (which is mostly conditioned into us from childhood) we are unbeknowingly empowering them to enslave us psychologically.

Now is the time to take back this power and learn to empower ourselves with the knowledge and wisdom that can eliminate these masters of deception (aka disinformation agents), so that we can then emancipate our minds towards a joyful existence filled with integrity, truth and meaning.

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This article is one of my most favorites. Oftentimes, people base what is right or wrong, true or false on institutions that are quite incomplete. (Not that there is any institution that is complete.) This can be the LAW, or even SCIENCE itself. Of course, CULTURE, RELIGION and the likes are more obviously twisted.

Unfortunately this was tried before – ie it was called the Russian Revolution and the peasants
ended up 1000 times worse than they were before. About 100 million were worked to death
in the Gulags according to Solzhenitsyn. Almost every time the poor rebel they are used as fodder
for some mad tyrant like Mao and Pol Pot and they end up worse than before.

Of course this will stop only when Jesus returns to rule the world with an iron rod from Jerusalem

To a pope, of course, it won’t make sense. I imagine how staggering it would be to make sense of that. Morality has its many frameworks, and you haven’t presented yours. From what framework of morality do you come from?

MTM, you are too used to Zeitgeist… acknowledge that Zeitgeist is blasphemous (although not to you). I think you get death penalties in some countries for films like that, or anything that may be a cause for apostasies, or apostasy itself can lead to one’s imprisonment/death penalty in some nations.

^It’s so vague, you can’t derive concrete value system and moral code out of “I am the way , the truth and the life”.

Are you pro-contraceptives? Are you pro-abortion? How come abortion is legal in other Christian countries and not in Philippines? Are you pro-stemcell research? Are you anti-cloning? Why? Do you think a serial killer should be punished with death penalty? Why? Do you think premarital sex is evil? Did you actually follow that?

Yes, very vague, but it’s your credo, Charles, and praying out loud, then so be it.

What’s idiotic about morality is that it has no regard for circumstances because it is not for morality to decide the circumstances at which you apply them. One good community example is: A Corrupt Government (ACG). If ACG usurps the people in many ways, can you look them in the eye and say, “Do the moral thing?” That would be indoctrinating slavery.

If ACG usurps the people monetarily, to be specific, and these are impoverished, and they start to cheat on the government in many ways, are you going to judge it as immoral?

It is the balance. Something in nature was activated, and so nature runs its course.

INTSIK
No Christian can reach God’s perfect standards – only his son Jesus managed it . So because I have sinned I am relying on Jesus’s crucifixion to avoid being punished for my sins. It is a free gift although you must repent and make
Jesus your Lord and Saviour.
Slavery is happening all over the world just now – the slavery under Jewish law was the most civilised in the whole world – it was really a workers contract.

I am the way the truth and the life is backed up by the four
Gospels and the whole Bible. So you can use the Bible to
find out what Jesus means when he says he is the TRUTH.

It boils down to whether everything made itself – in which
case we have relativism ie anything goes .

OR

Whether a Creator God made everthing who is Holy in all respects and therefore cannot allow anything unclean into Heaven.

So the only way to Heaven is to accept Jesus as Lord and Master – since he has paid the price for our sins .

So it comes down to whether you are a believer in the Bible
or an evolutionist.

^so you mean I can sin-all-I-can, and repent and just ask Jesus to be my Savior, I’m already good and made?

what’s the CONCRETE value system and code of ethics should we take to be in the path of truth?
Condoms or abstinence?
Premarital sex or abstinence?
Masturbation or abstinence?
Abortion or give birth to a bastard?
ABORTION and DIVORCE is allowed by other christian nations. What’s the real score here? How would you know if you’ve sinned or not when the LAWS ARE VAGUE?

intsik
Yes you can repent and accept Jesus – but to think you could sin all your life and then suddenly repent when you think the end is coming would be a grave mistake because you dont know when the hour of your death will come .

So you cannot mock God like this . The thief on the cross repented at the last and evangelised for a few minutes and was saved. However he would not have cunningly planned this. So yes he was saved at “one minute to six”
and gets the same wages as the first.

Marriage and 2nd-hand goods, what the…?! What does that have to do with your soul and your love and your grace and your forgiveness and repentance?

Hey, I can bring out my Tibetan Book of the Dead, if you like, and tell you what they say. Would it make sense to you, Charles?

Since there are too many gods, and we are free to choose gods where there are no sinners, the code of ethics that can embrace and encompass all would be great, don’t you think?

Hinduism and Buddhism have felt about the Christian Bible as a book for children to obey, emulate, fear, etc. It was used as the law of the land, and so people who adhere to it to this day want it to be the law of the land.

^Charles, What if I’m so responsible I don’t wanna get married till I’m 40 years old, when I have enough savings and have more concrete values to teach my kid. By then, my bf will be 50 years old. Are we not allowed to have premarital sex??? Won’t I turn into a dried forest or petrified wood or some kind of a fossil already if I don’t get laid before 40?

I personally find adding more unwanted children in the world more immoral. I also find population explosion, with no planned resources and energy/fuel scarcity solutions immoral.

You are a born-again Christian? Protestant? Evangelical Christian? Did you do something really bad (like masturbate, had premarital sex…) before, that you needed ‘forgiveness’? Maybe you cannot forgive yourself, so you needed Jesus to forgive you. :)

Do you impose yourself on anybody when you masturbate? No. Do you harm anybody or destroy anything by masturbating? No. So why is it a sin?

I have broken all the commandments in thought and sometimes deed – so I need a savior to receive eternal life.

Only Jesus went through a crucifixion for our sins – There
is no eternal life offered in Hinduism or Buddism. Budda did
not even believe in a God .

You dont seem to understand the Holiness of God – neither
did I when I was young.

Any fornication is one of the worst sins in God’s eyes.

There is plenty of room for billions more people on earth
if resources were properly managed.

All the people in the world could stand together on a small
island like the Isle of Wight. There is plenty of land for cultivation.

If you owned all the assets in the world – that is if you owned the whole world it would not be worth your eternal
life . Since on the earth your life is limited to around 70 years but eternal life lasts forever.

Google up ” 90 minutes in heaven ” by don piper

and Iain McCormack who tell you what heaven is like.

Or Maurice Rawlings a heart surgeon who brings people
back from death – it is frightening – he was an athiest but
is now a Christian.

Oh, and you’re going to start telling that it is “Fundamental for us to believe in…” Of course, and I understand. But just the same I could tell you that Vishnu is the only, the Mohammed is the one, and there shall be no other before me.

I was born Roman Catholic and grew up with several types of traditional intensities in the immediate circle of the family, church-building for communities, priests in the family, timed and on-the-dot rituals. There is just NO WAY you can change the mind of some family members about it. But the local parish kicked me out about a decade ago during my service due to a political event the church had to participate in, so they could not preach forgiveness while that was happening. (Which reminds me why I believe church and state must be separate, so that church can deepen the experiences of god, whatever it is.)

The last thing that I read out from the Bible as a lector was about the roles of women – which doesn’t suit me at all. No woman who preceded me in the family will make me accept that as my truth, but ironically they listen to these masses and will defend the religion.

Zeitgeist reminds me of some high school. How I noticed indoctrinations around me, the book of the revelations, how weird the Bible, yet how rich in myth. I most likely started my interest in myth from the Bible in high school. Anthropological interests started in primary school.

^charles, what if you are not ready to have a relationship yet with a girl, probably because you’re still in school, or maybe the girl of your dream still has a bf, isn’t it safer and moral to fantasize about her and just masturbate on her? Don’t you think that’s the lesser evil? Gf stealing or marrying a girl right away just to satisfy your sexual curiosity is more evil, and irresponsible!
If we go on a diet, can you actually abstain from your favorite food all the time, everyday? Of course not. You have to indulge once in a while, otherwise you’ll be thinking and craving for food the whole day. Same is true with sex. If you don’t give in and indulge once in awhile, the more your mind will be preoccupied with sex…
We are not perfect, we are not god, but we have a choice to choose the lesser evil… :> :) :>

You will find when you indulge your fleshly appetites you
just want more and more ask any alcoholic or drug addict
– or sex addict but Paul actually recommended marriage
and regular sex as a couple to avoid temptation.

“Do not refuse one another except by mutual agreement……… Paul .

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE TRUTH

Either Jesus told the truth or he did not.

The leader of no other religion has willingly gone through
a crucifixion to pay the price of our sins to a Perfect and
Holy God . Jesus was God in the flesh and promises eternal
life to those who follow him.

His disciples were cruelly tortured – sawed in half – burnt – fried alive. You would only do this if you believed Jesus
was the truth.

I’m fine w/ Jesus. As for freedom and kindness, that to me is a given anytime.

Please choose what is true for you. So far I’ve read quiet desperations on your part regarding sinning and Jews. Sorry but I’ll be bad company to the self-made miserable. I’d understand miseries due to the practical stuff.

Jesus said ” trouble will come” but if we build our house on the “Rock” we can withstand it. Unfortunately after WW1 and WW2 we have the TRIBULATION coming against an
unbelieving world as the younger generation will find soon
find out.
Trouble came to me when I least expected it but God was
so kind at that time.

Charles, Jesus could have, but Yahweh was something else. He remains one of the most male chauvinistic personalities I have ever seen.

” When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)”

rickym – This looks like a very civilised work or marriage
contract and even compares well with what we have in many countries TODAY . You can look at whats happening in loads of countries eg young children being sold by their
parents to perverts as sex slaves. Girls forced into marriages they don’t want and treated terribly.

The word slave is mistranslated – you only have to read about African slavery to realise this – which by the way was
stopped by Wilberforce – a Christian – enforced by the British Navy and also stopped by Lincoln in America – another Christian.

There is more gut wrenching slavery going on nowadays – Chinese workers are committing suicide by jumping out of factory windows – the windows are getting bars now.
About ten jumped out of a factory window thats makes the Ipod I think or some such indulgent thing for the west.
I would rather work in a rice Paddy field.

God commands slaves ( workers under contract) to be treated fairly.

The Laws of Moses had the best conditions for slaves (workers) than in any other part of the world.

EG – The Spartans went round killing selected slaves for no reason other than to keep them under fear.

I would rather have been one of Abraham’s bond servants
(slaves) than work in a Chinese factory today.

You could be enslaved to any American company today with
barely a day off and targets insisted on that will give you
a heart attack at 50.

This “slave” girl you talk about above had rights far superior to any society in these days and in many countries
nowadays.

She could end up marrying the bosses son and become part of the family.

See how the Filipino real slaves are treated in Saudi Arabia.

You are letting the word “slave” influence your judgement
of the actuality.

Today in the mail I read about an Indian boy who is doing
100 hours per week in a factory – he sleeps there as well – for 7pence per hour – which he sends to his mother.
It is for some clothing factory that sells stuff in America.

Rickym if you are worried about slavery you can free a child
out of sex slavery in Thailand for about $500 dollars – there
are plenty of Christian organisations who are doing these
good works

I get your point, there are slaves which are treated well and slaves which aren’t.

But how about rape? is there a good way to rape and a bad way? Or shall you say that the following verses are not about rape?

“When you go out to war against your enemies and the LORD, your God, delivers them into your hand, so that you take captives, if you see a comely woman among the captives and become so enamored of her that you wish to have her as wife, you may take her home to your house. But before she may live there, she must shave her head and pare her nails and lay aside her captive’s garb. After she has mourned her father and mother for a full month, you may have relations with her, and you shall be her husband and she shall be your wife. However, if later on you lose your liking for her, you shall give her her freedom, if she wishes it; but you shall not sell her or enslave her, since she was married to you under compulsion.”
(Deuteronomy 21:10-14 NAB)

They must be dividing the spoils they took: there must be a damsel or two for each man, Spoils of dyed cloth as Sisera’s spoil, an ornate shawl or two for me in the spoil. (Judges 5:30 NAB)

Lo, a day shall come for the Lord when the spoils shall be divided in your midst. And I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle: the city shall be taken, houses plundered, women ravished; half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be removed from the city. (Zechariah 14:1-2 NAB)

By the standards of war it time it seems very fair to me . In WW2 there was brutal rape by the Russians of German women . It seems more civilised than what is happenning
in Hollywood today and in the past . These female captives had rights under the Old Testament .

The German army captured jewish and russian women for prostitutes and they died of despair after being raped
hundreds of times by soldiers .

In the last days only East Jerusalem will fall – you will probably see it in your lifetime – and the women will be raped. But the majority of Jews will escape to Edom – the caves of ancient PETRA to await the coming of their Messiah.

Who they dont know yet as JESUS ” those who have pierced him will rent their garments ……. “

Looks like monkey town to me, Charles! Haha. That’s what happened when men dominated during those times. The right to war and peace is still very much valid, except the rules have changed because civilians are given rights not to participate or to be taken out of the scenes of war.

There were more than just feminine slavery and rape. Men were also abused and raped, except that these don’t figure in the scriptures that much because they aren’t premium items. Being able to rape a man is not like being able to rape a woman of the enemy.

I find Deuteronomy/biblical slavery and present day slavery equally uncivilized and oppressive.

To make it more fair and civilized, we should just legalize prostitution, so we girls can sell sexual services without feeling ashamed and used. With legal prostitution, sex workers should have regular medical check-ups, entitled to medical insurance. The prostitutes that are sent to warzones should get the same salary and insurance as the pilots and premium flight attendants.

If sex was taken by force in the bible and is considered “reasonable”, then premium salary to hardworking heroine prostitutes should be “more reasonable”.

Charles- your statements belie a changing (call it evolving/maturing) moral code (i.e. “Standards of the time”) which is not consistent with a constant God.

Even the Yahweh of Moses and Jesus said different things (the former said Kill your Brother, whilst the latter said turn the othe cheek).

If God keeps changing its mind every couple of thousand years, too bad for those caught in between.

By the way: the Germans of WW2 you keep criticizing were mostly Catholics (including Hitler), as were the Inquisitors. Religion and murder go hand in hand–but that’s probably ok for God, which means Pope John Paul II was wrong to apologize for them.

^The “born-again Christians” do not view the Catholics and Iglesias the same way, or to be in their same “premium league”. It’s only the born-agains that will be saved for sure. “Repent, Believe, and Profess Jesus as Your Savior.”–tagline of born-agains, who refused to be called born-again. The politically/socially correct way is “Christian”(which is vague for others not in the club). Calling a born-again a born-again is like calling Blacks or Colored people Negro.(slowly becoming).. Born-again Christians consider themselves the creme de la creme in the christian community. Born-agains think that Catholics don’t have PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with JESUS, but are mere followers of customs and traditions. Catholicism for them is the religion of the mob. And, Born-agains do not agree that they are following a “religion”.

Born-again christians don’t follow the Old Testament and considers New Testament as the more credible books. The New Testament is where they derive their moral code these days. And they put strong emphasis on “Repent, Believe, Profess Jesus as your ONLY SAVIOR”. So there’s also no point quoting the old testament to shake their faith. The born-agains consider the old testament writings as accurate history, but a wrong book for morals. Born-agains are “modern christians”.

Born again christians only seem to be the more intelligent because it affirms positively about themsleves, but I have met downright rotten ones simply because they are rotten, put them in any religion.

You can try shaking their faith by shaking their money. I’ve done it to a bunch of them.

Catholic= good works, 10 commandments, and, faith in Jesus will save them
Born-again= faith in Jesus as the Only Savior is enough to be saved. Good works only spring forth from the faith. It’s just a result, not a necessity.

Born-agains are smarter. They have solutions for the holes in Christianity. epoxy, mightybond. How the hell can born-again chiristianity be so appealing to the very smart crowd? Most of the students in our star section turned into ‘born-agains’. geeeeeshshsh. amazing grace!!!!!

Rickym – I never said any type of rape was acceptable in war or other wise – you have misread my post – I was
comparing the old testament rights of a slave with the terrible RECENT things that are happening.

Although Hitler was brought up in a Catholic country I don’t
think any rational person would call him a Christian.

“Kill your brother” not sure where you got this – is it to do
with your brother trying to persuade you to follow a false
God ?

Faith then Works – read the letter of James – it is as clear as a bell.

There are diifererent covenants under God. The Old Testament LAW is now replaced by the period of Grace
thanks to Jesus – so we are now living under the covenant
of GRACE. ” But not one letter NOT one dot of the LAW will pass away until all has been fulfillied” – Jesus

Human sacrifice is not allowable at all – Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son but God instead sacrificed his own Son Jesus – who was God in the flesh.

There are instances in the OT where a man could offer his
children to GOD but it says elsewhere that God did not demand this – it was requested by some of the Jews.

But if you end up in eternal Glory – it has a good ending
but was not required by God .

The pagan nations took human sacrifice up full time – thousands per day were sacrificed alive – with their still pumping hearts ripped out of their chests eg by the Inca Priests. Cortez did a great job stopping this with only 300 men .

It happened at Stonehenge and all these pagan places.
Pity if you are the “Joe Soap” picked for the sacrifice.

The Priests of BAAL made young children walk into the fires
of Molech and made them smile as they were burnt alive .
(this is where “Sardonic Smile” comes from).

INTSIK Why would God allow his Church to be in error
for 1600 years until the protestants appear.
The church was built on the blood of the martyrs – that is
the 300 years before Constantine where they were fried
alive in pans – covered in oil then set alight ( nero) – eaten
alive by Lions etc.

How can you compare a jet setting evangelist with many
million pound houses with this kind of sacrifice.